Up Front: December 2013

The holiday season always causes some anxiety as I worry about getting appropriate presents for everyone on my list. This year, though, I compiled BJT’s annual gift guide, so I have more good ideas than usual. Check out our suggestions, which I suspect will help you cross some names off your own shopping list.

Still feeling stressed? It may help to keep in mind what will likely matter most to the people you care about—not a gift’s price or even its usefulness, but the fact that you made an effort to give something special and took the time to let your family and friends know you’re grateful to have them in your life.

I was reminded of this when my four-year-old daughter recently spent days preparing a necklace for my birthday. She constructed it from about 30 scraps of ribbon, which she awkwardly tied together with her hair bows, and she Scotch-taped a crayon drawing of the two of us to the bottom. She was so proud of it, and so excited to give it to me—and I’m quite sure I’ve never received a more meaningful present.

My recent research for a feature on tipping pilots and crew on business jets only underscored my feeling that it’s the thought that counts most. The purpose of the article, written in response to some reader queries, is to give new-to-bizav passengers a rough guide on how to tip their crews. Although no hard rules apply, what struck me the most about the dozens of conversations I had with pilots and flight attendants is how often they talked, with passion, about how being tipped made them feel. The amount of the tips seemed relatively unimportant, and in fact, when pressed for numbers, most people I spoke to could barely remember them. What they recalled clearly is that the gesture made them feel appreciated, validated and rewarded for a job well done.

Speaking of appreciation, all of us at BJT are grateful to you, our subscribers, for your readership, feedback and support. We pledge to show that appreciation by providing you with an even better magazine in 2014. See you next year.